How to Grow a Pineapple indoors.

Pineapple

Pineapple | Source

Growing a Pineapple indoors

Have you ever been curious about growing your own Pineapple plant but did not know how hard it would be? Well I can tell you it is very easy. Not only is it easy but you can grow it indoors. I have made quite a few now, with only a couple not making it. The fun part is if they do not make it, you get another pineapple to eat and try again. Chances are if you try the same method that did not work, you might be surprised the second time around like I was. I am quite fascinated that I can grow a pineapple plant in Maine of all places so I can assure you it is worth a try.

Prepping the Pineapple for growing

lightly pull on a leaf. If it comes off easily the fruit is too ripe. | Source

Cut the crown off along with an inch of the Pineapple meat. | Source

slice up the main body and enjoy. | Source

Carefully make tiny slices in the remaining inch of pineapple meat until you see a ring of brown dots. these are root primordia | Source

pull out the bottom inch worth of leaves to uncover an inch of stock and more undeveloped roots. | Source

Plant the crown an inch into the soil. | Source

Ingredients: Growing a Pineapple

1 Ripened Pineapple, Yellowish colored skin and Nice Pineapple Aroma

1 (6" to 8" pot)

(Enough soil to fill pot) Potting mix with Perlite and Peat

1 Spray Bottle (optional)

Instructions: Growing a Pineapple indoors

Go to the Market and pick out a Pineapple.
- That is yellowish in color or close to. A green colored pineapple is not ripe enough to eat.
-The pineapple needs to be a little soft to know its ready, stiff is not ready yet.
-Has a nice Pineapple aroma( No aroma when not ripe.)
-Overripe will not work either. If you pull on on of the leaves from the crown and it comes off easily, the Pineapple is too ripe. (plus you will not enjoy eating the meat.

Take your pineapple and cut off the crown (the leafy top) along with an inch of the meat. (cut up the body of meat for eating purposes, an obvious but enjoyable step)

Carefully make tiny slices in the bottom of he crown and remove the meat. ( you leave an inch initially so you don't cut off the young roots your trying to uncover.) Keep making tiny slices until a ring of brownish dots emerge. ( these are known as root primordia). You do not have to do this step, opting to keep the inch of meat on the bottom of the stock, I have done this before with both outcomes, but you are taking a risk that when the meat rots the rot will go into the crown and no more pineapple.

Peal off the bottom inch of leaves, leaving an inch of stock and uncovering more root primordia.

Leave your pineapple out to dry for a couple days to a week to allow any scaring from removing the meat and leaves to heal. This will make sure that the plant will not rot when planted.

With your pot, filled with soil, plant the crown about an inch deep. This will bury the leafless stock.

Gently pack the dirt around the crown and lightly water. (just enough to moisten the dirt not soak it) I usually use a spray bottle to keep from over watering.

Place plant in a sunny location. It takes the pineapple 1 to 3 months to get a good strong root system. Gently tug the crown and if the plant gives You have roots. Also you will see new leaves growing.

Re-Pot to a 10" or 12" pot if you want. I keep re-potting as it gets bigger, currently I have it in a 12" pot and will need a new one soon.

Growing a Pineapple indoors

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Pineapple plant upkeep

Now once the pineapple plant is planted and rooted there is feeding and eventually getting it to flower and fruit.

Feeding it: It is recommended to feed it every month, especially while it grows. As it first develops its root system it is pulling all its nutrients from its leaves. I usually spray it with a water bottle that has water from a fish tank (a liquid fertilizer). You can also just sprinkle solid fertilizer or compost onto the leaves. (don't use store bought fertilizer or compost unless you know that no chemicals have been added, as this can burn the leaves and weaken the roots). Once the roots are going well You can either mix in a little fertilizer or compost into the dirt every month or what I do is sprinkle Osmocote onto the soil. This is a good indoor plant food, less of a mess.

Getting the pineapple to flower and fruit: It takes 2 to 3 years before the pineapple will bare fruit. This is determined by whether you are feeding when you should, it is in a good sized pot for its root system to be able to breath, and your climate is controlled (sunny and warm). If for some reason the plant has not flowered you can coax it by wrapping it in plastic with some ripened apples during the winter months.(The apples will rot releasing an ethylene gas that is kind of like a plant stimulant).

Growing a Pineapple

After a month to three months you will see new leaf growth. switch to a bigger pot. As the plant gets bigger keep re-potting. Eventually the size will get to about a 18inch pot. or even a 24inch. | Source

Comments

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Glenna Jones 3 years agofrom Orlando, Florida

What a fun hub. The hardest part is getting the fruit off the stem. If I may suggest an alternative step, simply get a firm hold on the top and twist it off the ripe fruit. It will come off clean and then you can easily peal off the lower leaves and reveal the new roots. I live in Florida and have often started them this way. :0)

gajanis786 3 years ago

Excellent hub with useful information..........thank you for sharing this hub, I will definitely try this.

Virginia Kearney 3 years agofrom United States

I've been growing pineapples for several years. I also have a hub on this topic but mine is oriented towards kids. I actually have mine outside most of the time, but pull them inside during freezing temperatures. I've not yet gotten one to flower, but I have one pretty big now and I'm hoping I will get a pineapple soon. I've actually never done anything with mine but cut off the tops and stuck them in soil. Some of them rot, but most grow. This is a pretty easy plant but it can get rather big.

Huntgoddess 3 years agofrom Midwest U.S.A.

I've always wondered how to do this.

Congratulations on Hub of the Day!

Up, +++

Joyfulcrown 3 years ago

Wonderful information. I love pineapples.

Carrie L. Cronkite 3 years agofrom Maine

Awesome. I live in Northern Maine and will give this a try. I do love pineapple! Excellent hub!

StvRich 3 years agofrom East Rockaway - Long Island - Planet: Earth ~

This is COOL, LoL I love it-

Bill De Giulio 3 years agofrom Massachusetts

Wow, never knew this could be done. I'll have to give this a try. Thanks for sharing and congrats on the HOTD

Susie Lehto 3 years agofrom Minnesota

The pineapple top makes an attractive house plant. Thank you for showing how to grow them. I love this idea.

Tanya Jones 3 years agofrom Texas USA

I did this once before and it made for a wonderful conversation piece. It even produced a pineapple. Great hub.

Don Bobbitt 3 years agofrom Ruskin Florida

Good Hub. I keep one or two of these going year round. It makes me feel like I am buying one at half price. LOL! Your instructions are right on and this is something anyone can do.

DON

Mary Hyatt 3 years agofrom Florida

Congrats on HOTD! This is a fun project I have done with my children. Each of my four kids tried this method, and two of them were successful. Even if your pineapple never bears fruit, it is a lovely indoor plant, I think.

Voted UP, etc. and shared.

peachy 3 years agofrom Home Sweet Home

oh really? those are the roots? I need you need a bigger pot than that to grow the whole pineapple

Mohammad Tanvir Ibne Amin 3 years agofrom Dhaka

All I knew Pineapples only grow in Hill Tracks areas. But you share some new ideas. Great Idea and hub.

mySuccess8 3 years ago

The pineapple plant, being a tropical and subtropical fruit, requires a sunny, warm and humid environment, in addition to other site and soil conditions. However, you have shown and explained well, how it is still possible to still grow this plant, which can take more than 2 years to bear fruit, just about anywhere in the world at home. The instructions are clear, and you have made this look so simple to grow. Congrats on Hub of the Day!

Mary Norton 3 years agofrom Ontario, Canada

This is awesome. I want to try this. We had pineapples in our garden where I grew up. I never thought of planting one in a pot.

Mythreal 3 years ago

Glad to see you enjoying the adventure of gardening. It's amazing what you can start on a little windowsill....

Alan 3 years agofrom West Georgia

This is a very interesting idea. I have a small greenhouse that is pretty packed, but I know I can find some room for a pineapple.

Author

Brian Patrick Hussey 3 years agofrom Durham, Maine

Thank you DDE! Growing pineapple is fun and easy I hope you have fun.

Devika Primić 3 years agofrom Dubrovnik, Croatia

I like the idea of experimenting with pineapple I will try this method and only now did I know of planting pineapple. I rated five stars this hub deserves a vote up, interesting and useful.